Fire department raising funds for critical training equipment today at Robinson’s

Imagine climbing three or four flights of stairs – how quickly would you get winded? Now imagine doing it while carrying an extra 75 pounds. Could you do it then? How about in a stairwell filled with smoke as fire rages through the building?

Being able to climb stairs efficiently is a necessity for firefighters. To help with their training, The SportLab and members of the Huntsville Lake of Bays Fire Department are at Robinson’s Independent today for a unique – and important – fundraiser.

For twelve continuous hours, firefighters will take turns on a stairmill to show the public how much effort is required to climb stairs in that much gear. Their goal: to raise $12,000 to purchase the machine and add it to the department’s training facility at the Huntsville fire hall.

The fundraiser was initiated by The SportLab, which has been working with the fire department for more than five years, “specifically in the realm of performance, from a nutrition perspective, recovery, on-scene operational performance, how can we help firefighters recover, and how can we help improve their overall fitness,” says The SportLab’s Lowell Greib.

“We’ve got quite a few mid-rise buildings in Huntsville Lake of Bays,” notes Greib. “Stairs are the way things are accessed so it’s important that the crews have the ability to train on stairs. In improving their fitness facility and improving performance in general, this was an obvious choice to raise funds for.”

The stairmill is the final piece of equipment needed to complete the department’s training facility, says Fire Prevention Officer Mike Vadjla. “This equipment is part of our candidate testing and our training. It does take a bit of effort to have the weight (of firefighting gear) on and climb those stairs. It’s invaluable for them.”

Vadjla notes that the machine is more beneficial than just climbing the stairs at the fire hall thanks to speed and resistance adjustments,

Head to Robinson’s today before 9 p.m., watch the firefighters in action, and drop some coins or bills in the boot to help them reach their fundraising goal. The ladder truck is on hand too – bring your kids to check it out.

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